By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
The Renaissance Care and Empowerment Foundation (RECEF) has warned that Kogi State may struggle to fully harness donor interventions and long-term development opportunities if it fails to operationalize its approved Official Development Assistance (ODA) Committee.
In a statement issued in Lokoja, the Executive Director of the foundation, Amb. Idris Ozovehe Muraina, described the inauguration of the ODA Committee as a critical governance reform that would reposition the state for smarter, evidence-based development.
He argued that while Kogi State has attracted multiple donor-funded projects over the years — including World Bank-supported interventions — the absence of a central coordination and data harmonization framework has limited their cumulative impact.
According to Muraina, fragmented project data scattered across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and development partners has created gaps in monitoring, evaluation, transparency and long-term planning.
“Without an institutional structure to harmonize development data, projects risk operating in silos. The result is duplication, weak impact measurement and missed opportunities for strategic alignment,” he stated.
He noted that development in the 21st century is increasingly data-driven, stressing that governments that institutionalize data management systems are better positioned to attract funding, track performance, and demonstrate accountability to citizens and partners.
Muraina pointed out that although approval had been granted for the establishment of the ODA Committee under the current administration, its non-inauguration represents a missed opportunity to strengthen coordination at a time when fiscal resources are tightening nationwide.
Beyond data consolidation, RECEF said the proposed committee should serve as a central clearing house for donor engagements, ensuring that all external assistance aligns with Kogi State’s 32-Year Development Plan and sector implementation strategies.
The foundation recommended that membership of the committee reflect competence, policy knowledge and integrity, in line with Nigeria’s ODA Policy Guide. It also proposed that the Secretariat be domiciled within the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning to guarantee alignment with fiscal priorities and macroeconomic planning.
Additionally, RECEF called for a mandatory reporting framework requiring all World Bank-assisted and donor-funded projects to submit periodic implementation data to the committee to enhance transparency and performance tracking.
Muraina emphasized that the issue is not merely administrative but strategic.
“Kogi State stands at a pivotal moment. Institutionalizing the ODA Committee will not only improve coordination but also strengthen investor confidence, development credibility and long-term growth outcomes,” he said.
He maintained that a functional ODA Committee would move the state from reactive development to structured, evidence-based governance capable of delivering measurable results for citizens.
